Blind Leadith the Blind
by Saerry Snape
Summary: preOOTP:: Harry didn't arrive on the train. Could something be seriously wrong? And who's going to go see?
1. Pro: Harry's WHAT?

Prologue  "Harry's what?!?" 

"What do you mean Harry's not here?" gasped Ron.  "He has to be here!"

Hermione, sitting dumbstruck in the chair beside the ginger-haired boy, stared at Headmaster Dumbledore.  The two of them had been called to his office after the Welcoming Feast, during which they had been worried about their friend.  Everyone in Gryffindor was worried.

So now they sat in the circular office, Ron bristling as Hermione gaped openly.  Snape stood silently behind Dumbledore's chair, the look on his face sour and one clearly saying he did not wish to be there.

"Surely you're not deaf, Weasley," sneered Snape after Ron's outburst.

"Severus," reprimanded Dumbledore, eying the Potion's Master lurking behind him.  He then said, "I am afraid it is true, Mister Weasley.  Harry did not arrive on the train, which was searched thoroughly.  I have contacted the Dursley's to inquire about him but have no received a response."

Hermione and Ron looked at each other as Dumbledore continued, "I wondered if the two of you heard from Harry over the holidays."

"Yes, sir," said Hermione.  "But his letters were - "  Her voice trailed off and she looked at Ron.

"Strange," finished the boy.  "Like he wasn't writing them."

"As though someone else was telling him what to write," added Hermione.

"Are you suggesting, Miss Granger," hissed Snape," that Potter's relatives are holding him captive?"

Hermione and Ron looked at each other again.  Ron said softly," Well, he never says anything good about them."

Hermione nodded in agreement and Dumbledore looked worried.  He then turned in his chair and looked up at Snape, who took a small step back.

"Headmaster…"

"Severus, I only wish you to go and collect Harry and his belongings.  You are the only teacher I have to spare."

_And the only one I trust to do this_ practically hung on the air and Snape's lip curled in distaste.  Damn Potter for getting him into this…

Ron and Hermione nearly fell out of their chairs when Snape said, "I'll go now."  He swept out of the office after that, black robes billowing about him.

As soon as the door closed Ron cried, "Professor, they'll kill each other!"

"Be calm, Mister Weasley," said Dumbledore with a smile.  "Severus will return Harry in one piece.  Lemon drop?"

Ron and Hermione looked at each other, both of them thinking the same thing.

'Harry's dead.'


	2. Chp 1: Welcome to Hell

Chapter 1  "Welcome to Hell…" 

It was a rainy, dark, moonless night and nothing moved on the street known as Privet Drive.

In Number Four two men, both porky, were staring at a television screen.  Their eyes were glued to whatever was on (the details of which we shall not go into).  In the kitchen, a bony, horse-faced woman was humming to herself as she fixed dinner.

Outside in the drizzle, a dark figure approached the house and pressed a finger to the doorbell.

The cheerful _ding-dong_ of the bell echoed through the house.

"Petunia!" bellowed a voice from the room where the television was blaring.

"Yes, dear," said the woman in the kitchen, turning down the stove with a deft flick of her wrist then marched towards the bolted front door.

"I wonder who would be calling at this hour," she mused as she undid the bolt and opened the door.  She immediately let out a little shriek and leapt back.

A figure in a dark cloak stood dripping on the doorstep.  The whites of the eyes were all that were visible under the equally dark cowl.

"Well.  Long time no see, Tuna."

Petunia, eyes wide, lowered her hands from her mouth and gaped openly at the figure standing on her doorstep.

"Severus," she gasped in awe.

"So you _do_ remember me," said Snape, pulling the cowl away from his face.  Any student at Hogwarts nor any of his colleges would have recognized him.  Instead of the sneering face of the dreaded Potion's Master, there was an almost softer face.  It was as though he had reverted to a younger, happier version of himself the moment he'd stepped upon the Dursley's doorstep.

"How could I forget?" murmured Petunia in an almost amused tone.  Then, in a frightened one, "What are you doing here?  If Vernon found out…"

"Petunia!" bellowed the voice from earlier.  "Who is it!"

"Oh no," hissed Petunia, turning halfway about.  "Severus, you have to go."

Snape's expression turned stony and he said grimly, "Not without Potter."

"Harry?  What - "

"Those were my orders, Tuna."

Petunia's face flushed slightly and she whispered, "No one's called me that in over fifteen years.  That last person was…"

"Me," said Snape in a sad tone.

"Before you disappeared.  And not a word after that.  Where did you go?"

Snape glanced towards the faint glow of the television set and hissed, "Now is not the time, Tuna."

"You left me," whispered Petunia as though she had not heard him.  "You left me to _him_."

Snape looked nervous now, his dark eyes shifting about.  He eyed the doorway from which the glow of the tube came then looked back at Petunia, who had an expression on her face reminiscent of a lost puppy.  Dark eyes flicked to the door again then he reached out a hand.

"Petunia…"

"What do you think you're doing?  And who are you?"

Snape and Petunia looked where the voice had come from.  Vernon stood there, eyes glaring beadily at Snape, who was still standing on the doorstep. 

"Severus Snape, professor at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.  I came after Potter."

Vernon's face purpled at the words _witchcraft_ and _wizardry_ and Petunia backed away into the kitchen.  Snape watched her go out of the corner of his eyes then turned to fully face the large, beefy man glaring at him.  He gave a vague flick of his wrist, index finger catching the tip of his wand as it was freed from it arm sheath.

"There's no one named Potter here," growled Vernon, fists clenching.  "Get out of my house."

Now Snape was annoyed.  He scowled at the man and hissed, "I know Potter's here, Dursley.  Just tell me where he is and I'll be gone.  Or…"  Snape moved his index finger and grasped his wand as it dropped down into his hand.  "Or I could stay for a little while."

Vernon's face turned a violent shade of purple-red at the sight of the wand and he bellowed, "_Get out!!!_"

Snape fixed the man with his most menacing scowl and thought _I'm going to kill Albus for this_.  He then growled, "Not without Potter.  I was sent here to retrieve him and I will not leave without him."

Vernon let out a roar like a bear and charged at him.  Snape leapt aside with an agility born of four years as an Auror, watching in amusement as the beefy man plowed into the wall.  He closed the door with his foot and turned towards the kitchen.  Just as he did, there was a faint click behind him, one that he recognized from a Death Eater raid seventeen years before.

The click of a bullet rolling into the chamber of a gun.

Snape threw himself into the kitchen as there was a sharp bark and something hot shot past his shoulder.  The air was filled with the scent of gunpowder as he curled his body and rolled into the kitchen, landing behind the table.  When he looked up he saw Vernon standing there, a revolver dwarfed by his beefy hands.  As another bullet clicked into the chamber, Snape lifted his wand, springing up off the floor…

Only to find Vernon unconscious on the tiles, Petunia standing over him with a large frying pan in her hands.  She sat the pan down on the counter to her left and wiped her hands on her skirt before turning to Snape.  They eyed each other for a moment before Snape bent and picked up the gun, emptying the remaining bullets and tucked the revolver into his cloak.

"Let me handle Dudley," said Petunia as the bullets were placed on the table then melted down into puddles of metal and powder with a swift spell from Snape's wand.  "Then we'll go see Harry."

Snape nodded and looked at her curiously.

"Both of us?"

"Yes."  Petunia sighed heavily.  "I want out, Severus.  Out of this hell."

"What about your son?" asked Snape.

Petunia responded with a snort and a clenched fist.

"He's more Vernon's son than he ever was mine.  He's not even mine," she explained with a slight smile.  "Vernon had been married before he met me and his wife let him with Dudley."  She gave him a much tighter smile then said, "Stay here.  I'll be back in a moment."

Petunia dashed out of the kitchen, leaving Snape alone with the unconscious hulk of mass that was her husband.  He had just tied Vernon up with a flick of his wand and had sheathed it when Petunia reappeared and waved him forward.

"Hurry," she said, ushering him out of the kitchen and closing its door.  Snape turned his eyes away from her and saw that the door to the room the tube was in was now closed, a length of cord running from the doorknob to the stout railing of the stairway.

"That door won't hold for long," said Petunia when she saw where he was looking.  "We should hurry."

As they headed up the stairs and reached the second floor, Petunia said over her shoulder, "You – you might find Harry a little…different."

"How so?" asked Snape, again perturbed that he had to come get the boy himself.

Petunia gave him a frightened look over her shoulders then gestured at the shadowy door at the end of the hall.

"You should see for yourself."

Snape looked at her oddly for a moment then strode towards the door, drawing his wand and lighting it.  He looked sincerely surprised when he saw the great number of locks on the door.

"Vernon's doing," explained Petunia.  "I don't know where he keeps the key.  But you don't need one, do you?"

Severus cast _Alohomora_ in answer to her question and all of the locks simultaneously clicked open.  He grasped the doorknob and turned it, pushing the door open.

His immediate thought was if this room was truly that of a child's.  It was empty of everything but a tattered old mattress shoved into a corner with moth-holed blankets on top.  There was a rusted bucket near the door that smelled distinctly of urine and Snape had a brief flashback to a dank basement filled with the same smell.  He shook his head to clear away the memory then looked around the rest of the room.

Sitting on a cardboard box was the person he had been sent after.  He was cast in shadows on all sides except where the silver moonlight streaming through the barred window illuminated his wild hair and a few folds of his dirty clothes.  The only truly visible thing by the window was the snowy white owl sitting on the boy's knee.

"Potter?" questioned Snape, peering at the boy.

There was no response; not a quiver, not a turn of the head.

"Harry," said Petunia, moving forward into the room.  "Sev – Professor Snape has come to take you back to Hogwarts."

"Tell him to piss off," snapped the boy by the window.

"Harry!" cried Petunia, tears in her voice, as Snape hissed, "I'm losing my patience, Potter."

Petunia turned to him, touching his arm lightly.  She said, "Be patient, Severus."

"As you said, Petunia, we don't have much time."

"How is it," said the boy by the window, "that my aunt and the Hogwarts Potion's Master are on a first name basis?"

Snape scowled in his direction and snapped, "We don't have time for this!  We have to go _now_, Potter!"

"Why?" said Harry in a sullen tone.

Snape growled something unsavory under his breath and strode forward angrily across the room to tower over the fifteen-year-old.  Hedwig turned her amber eyes on him and hooted a warning, rustling her feathers and shifting on her master's knee.

"Your uncle is set to kill me and is currently tied up and unconscious in the kitchen whilst your cousin is locked in the room with the tube.  Should your uncle wake before we leave, I fear those ropes will not hold him long.  And if he gets loose, someone may very well die."  Snape paused then asked, "Are you listening to me, Potter?"

"I hear you," mumbled Harry, head down.

Snape frowned and snapped, "Look at me."

The dark head did not move.

"Damn you, Potter, _look at me!_"

The head lifted and Snape took a startled step back.  The expression upon the teen's face was defiant, lips set in a snarl.

But the green eyes were lifeless and vacant.

Harry smiled grimly and said, "Despite it being you, professor, I wish I could.  I really do."

Snape gaped at him for a moment then looked at Petunia and demanded, "Who did this?"

"Vernon," came the reply.  "A few days after Harry returned from Hogwarts.  He – he thought if Harry couldn't see, he couldn't do magic anymore."

"_No more magic for you, boy_," intoned Harry in a flawless imitation of his uncle.  "_Can't do anything blind, can you?_"  The teen snorted and shook his head.  He looked towards professor and aunt and said, with a cruel smile, "How funny that the last thing I saw was his ugly mug."

Petunia gave a little sob and Snape shook his head slowly in disbelief.  He had seen a lot of cruelty as a Death Eater – but _this?_  He had _never_ seen anything like this.  What sort of man _was_ this Dursley?

"You two are getting out of here," he said sharply.  Looking at Petunia then at Harry, who was watching him with lifeless eyes, he added, "No arguments."

"But Vernon…" began Petunia.

"Is not a wizard and will not be able to find either of you.  Now, where are your things, Potter?"

"Burned," came the sullen reply.

Snape looked at Petunia, who nodded solemnly.  She said softly, "Vernon burned them all before he – he…"  She couldn't finish and turned towards the far wall, hugging herself and shivering.

"Well," said Harry, a sudden smile on his face.  "He didn't burn _everything_.  I hid my wand, invisibility cloak, and picture's under the loose floorboard.  It's over there by the mattress."

"Perhaps you are smarter than I thought," remarked Snape as Petunia bent and searched for the loose floorboard.  When she found it, she let out a small cry and pulled out the three objects, handing them to Snape.  The man tucked them into his cloak then went stiff as there was a sound of rope snapping from downstairs.

"Time to go."

Harry pushed himself to his feet, Hedwig fluttering up to his offered arm.  Petunia laid a hand on his shoulder and steered him out of the room as Snape looked around the room once more before he shook his head in disgust and followed the other two.

They were standing by the front door, Petunia glancing frequently at the closed kitchen door as she slipped a pair of dark sunglasses over Harry's eyes.  As Snape passed the door, he heard the sound of another rope snapping and a grunt.

"Go, go, go," he snapped, grabbing Petunia's upper arm in one hand and hauling Harry off his feet with the other, dragging them out the door.  The teen let out a surprised cry and Hedwig hooted angrily as she was jostled from her perch.  Leaping into the sky, the snowy owl flew away into the night.

"Hedwig!" cried Harry, looking around frantically as he felt the jolt of Snape stepping into the street.

"She will go to Hogwarts, never fear, boy," hissed Snape's voice in his ear.  "Can you run?"

Harry nodded and replied, "As long as you keep me away from anything I can trip over."

"Good," said Snape, letting Harry fall to the ground.  His hand grasped the teen's shoulder tightly and he commanded, "Now if the time to run.  Tuna, let's go!"

"_WIZARD!_" bellowed Vernon suddenly from the front door.  He was standing in it, teetering precariously as his legs were still tied together.

"Don't you have…a Portkey, Severus?" gasped Petunia as the three of them raced down the street.

"We can't use it here!" snapped Snape, eyes flashing.  "Not with the wards extended as they are.  Damn Dumbledore for this!"

"I think…we can…stop," gasped Harry.  He frowned and said, "We've gone about a half-mile right?  So the park's over there?"  He pointed off in one direction and Snape followed his arm to where a dark little park was.  "If we go straight through, we should lose Uncle Vernon if he comes after us."

"Bravo, Potter," rumbled the Potion's Master, slowing down to a walk.  "You once again prove your brilliance."

"Sev, drop whatever you had against James right now," snapped Petunia.  "Harry is _not_ his father."

"I _know_ that."

"Then _show it_."

Harry couldn't help but smirk at his aunt's words.  He then looked in the general direction her voice had come from and said, "If I weren't mistaken, Aunt Petunia, I'd say you were a witch."

"Ex-witch," mumbled Petunia.

"You can easily get a wand back," said Snape, looking at her.

"Humphf.  Half the wizarding world thinks I'm dead, Severus."

"Half of our year still wonders what happened to you."

"Ah," said Harry, "so that's how you two know each other."

Petunia and Snape looked at each other then away quickly.

"Something of that sort," muttered Petunia.

"There's more?"

The two adults looked at each other again over the blind boy's head then away.

"If you must know, Potter…" growled Snape.

"_Severus!_" exclaimed Petunia.

"We were engaged," finished Snape with a smirk.

"_Engaged?_" gasped the teen.  He turned his head in the direction he thought his aunt was in and said, "You _are_ full of surprises, Aunt Petunia."

"More than you can imagine," muttered Petunia.

"What?"

"Nothing."

Snape looked sharply at Petunia but said nothing as they exited the park and came out on another road.  After a moment he stopped, grabbing Harry's arm as the teen started to continue on.

"Here, Potter.  We're beyond the wards now.  Take hold."

A frightened look passed across Harry's face at those words.

"A – a portkey?"

"Yes," said Snape slowly, wondering what was wrong with the boy.  Then he remembered and said in an almost reassuring tone, "There will be no Voldemort on the end of this portkey, Potter, I assure you."

"_Voldemort!_" exclaimed Petunia.  "But Harry defeated him…"

"You're a bit behind on the news," said Harry.

"I'll explain at Hogwarts," said Snape hurriedly.

Petunia gave him a scathing look.

"Potter," growled Snape, "we have to go know.  It's set to activate in twenty seconds."

"_Fine_," snarled Harry, reaching out his hand.  Snape placed it on the rolled up newspaper he held in his hand then looked at Petunia as she placed her own upon it.  Harry shivered as the device activated and both adults laid hold of his shoulders as they were jerked into it.


	3. Chp 2: Home?

Chapter 2  "Home?" 

"God!" exclaimed Petunia as the portkey set them down right outside the gates leading onto the Hogwarts grounds.  "I forgot how bad a mode of transportation a portkey is."

"I haven't," moaned Harry, grabbing at his aunt's waist.  "It's even worse when you can't see anything."

Petunia squeezed her nephew's shoulder sympathetically then looked at Snape.

"Now what?"

"We go inside," replied Snape, taking his hand off Harry's shoulder.  When the teen wobbled unsteadily he put it back.  "Are you alright?"

Harry looked oddly in Snape's direction and replied, "Yes."

Then…

"Er, no."

Snape snorted.  "I thought as much."

He then proceeded to sweep the rather small fifteen-year-old up into his arms and strode towards the castle, the gates swinging open then closed behind them at a whispered word.

"Well," said Harry in amusement as they crossed the lawn, "several people would get a kick out of this scene."

Snape sneered and shook his head at Petunia's questioning look.

"Are we going to see Professor Dumbledore?" asked Harry.

"Yes," replied Severus, trying not to focus on the slow ache coming over his arms.

"Good.  Tell me when we get there."

Petunia and Snape exchanged a glance.

"Why?" asked Petunia.

"So I can sock him for leaving me with that bastard."

The two adults exchanged another glance.  Not another word was spoken as the strange party continued across the lawns, Hedwig's shape suddenly appeared in the sky above them.

~*~*~*~*~

"Harry's dead, I know it."

"Don't be so negative, Ron," admonished Hermione.  She wrung her hands in her lap and looked out the window in Dumbledore's office.  Dumbledore himself was nowhere in the office but in a study off to the side.

"Yes," said a voice from behind them.  "Don't be so negative."

Hermione and Ron turned in their chairs to see Harry standing in the doorway, Snape and a horse-faced woman flanking him.

"_Harry!_" exclaimed the bushy-haired girl, leaping out of her seat and rushing to hug her friend.  She buried her face against his neck, feeling and hearing the chuckle that he uttered as he returned the embrace.

"Good to see you too, Mione."

Hermione pulled back, smiling at her friend.  Then she saw the dark glasses and frowned.

"Harry, what…"

Harry sighed and reaching up, his fingers fumbling for the glasses.  Hermione took his hand and pushed it down, gently reaching out and removing them herself.  When she saw his lifeless eyes, she let out a sob.  Behind her Ron gaped in disbelief.

"Your – your…"

"Blind?" supplied Harry helpfully.

Ron nodded then hit himself mentally and replied, "Yeah."

"I know.  Have been since a few days after term ended."

"Oh God…" breathed Hermione.  "Harry…"

"It's okay, Mione.  It could be worse."

"How?" choked Ron.

Harry smiled grimly and replied without humor, "I could be dead."  Behind him the horse-faced woman let out a small sob and – to Ron and Hermione's surprise – Snape wrapped an arm about her waist in an almost comforting gesture.

Enter Dumbledore.

"Ah, Severus, you were successful."

"So was my uncle," spat Harry bitterly, his unseeing eyes staring at the old wizard accusingly.

Dumbledore's mouth dropped open and he started numbly at the blind teen.

"Merlin's beard…"  He looked at Harry and breathed, "If I had known…"

"You didn't know," spat Harry.  "You probably didn't even check on me to see how they were treating me.  My aunt had to protect me on her own and she couldn't do it!"  His face twisted with rage and he snarled, "I slept in a cupboard for eleven years because you sent me there!  I was treated worse than the Malfoy's treated Dobby!  And now look - "

He spread his arms wide.

"The oh-so-wondrous Boy-Who-Lived is blind.  Who will save the world from Voldemort now?"

Harry turned a savage look on Dumbledore and hissed, "It won't be _me_."

With that, he turned and strode out the door, shoving past the reaching arm of his aunt and staggering down onto the staircase, his hand pressed against the wall.  Snape looked after him then snapped, "Weasley, Granger, go after him."

Hermione nodded and ducked out.  It took Ron a moment longer to respond but he too followed.

Snape shook his head then led Petunia over to the vacated chairs.  He looked at the still stricken Dumbledore and said, "Albus."

The older wizard gave a little jump then looked at him.

"Yes, Severus?"

"This is Petunia, Potter's aunt."  When the old wizard looked confused, he said, "Lily's sister."

Dumbledore looked at Petunia in surprise.

"I seem to remember a red-haired young woman as fiery as her twin sister."

Petunia smiled grimly and said, "A glamour.  After I lost my wand…"  _And Severus_ practically hung on the air.  "…I cast it.  I didn't want to remember – but I didn't want to Obliviate myself to forget."

"How did you cast it?" asked Dumbledore.

Petunia let out a slightly hysterical laugh.

"Surely, professor, you remember who mine and Lily's grandfather was – is, I am now told."

"Was would be a better word," said Snape softly.  "I'm not certain you would want to call the thing he is now your grandfather."

Petunia tilted her head back to smile at him.

"Maybe.  But deep down he's still that man.  Even if it can't be reached."

Snape squeezed her shoulder and left his hand there.  Petunia's own snaked up to his and squeezed back.

Dumbledore smiled at them then said, "So you will be staying with us, Mrs. Dursley?"

"Evans.  I never considered Vernon my husband and after what he did to my nephew and myself, I never shall again."

Dumbledore nodded then said, "Severus, if you would…"

"Of course, Albus."

Snape gently pulled Petunia to her feet and led her out of the office onto the rotating staircase.  As they rode it down, she softly said, "He's the one, isn't he?"

"Pardon?"

"The one who made you abandon me."

Snape looked down at her in surprise.

"I didn't abandon you, Tuna.  I had to keep up my spy duties."

"And Dumbledore just pulled your leash and you jumped," snarled Petunia, glaring at him accusingly.

"Tuna…"

"Truth, Severus.  I want the truth."

Snape sighed and turned his face away from her as the staircase stopped moving.

"Albus _did_ ask me to continue spying…"

"I sense a _but_."

Snape glared mildly at her and continued, "But I was also afraid."

"Of me?" exclaimed Petunia.

"For you," corrected Snape.  "I was afraid _for you_."

Petunia frowned for a moment then got an expression of realization on her face.

"Because of Grandfather."

Snape nodded.

"I was afraid that is our relationship continued, with you being in hiding, that he might find out who you were.  You _were_ in hiding because of the prophecy, after all."

"Well, we were wrong about that, weren't we?" spat the woman bitterly as she waved a hand dismissively.  There was a shimmering over her form then the bony, horse-faced woman known as Petunia Dursley disappeared and Petunia Evans reappeared for the first time in sixteen years.  Light brown eyes turned emerald green but not the same startling emerald that her sister's had been and certainly not what her nephew's were – _had been_.  Reddish-brown hair turned flame red and cascaded down over Snape's arm as it was freed from it loose bun.  Her features shifted to smoother and more rounded and she grew a few inches in height.

"That's better," said Petunia, giving a little shake.  She smiled up at the man beside her, her features now decidedly like her dead sister's.  Any student would have likely fallen over dead in the next moment as Snape smiled back at her.

"It's good to have you back, Tuna."

"It's good to be back, Sev."  Petunia looked around suddenly and said, "Harry.  Where's Harry?"

"Never fear," said Snape.  "Weasley and Granger will find him."

"I still want to make sure he's safe."

Snape sighed, "Alright."

"You're a good man, Sev."

"Oh, bugger off, woman."

~*~*~*~*~

"Harry!"

"Harry!"

Ron and Hermione raced down another corridor, looking for their friend.  Just as they started to turn down another hallway, a voice sprang out at them from a dark alcove.

"It helps it you actually _look_ instead of just running through the halls."

The two fifteen-year-old's skidded to a halt and spun about.  "Harry?" said Hermione nervously, peering towards the alcove.

"Looking for me?  I feel so loved."

"Harry, stop being sarcastic," said Ron.

"I'll be as damn well sarcastic as I want to be, thank you."

Ron and Hermione looked at each other nervously.  Hermione slowly crept forward, her eyes adjusting to the dark as she did so.  She could see Harry now, setting in the alcove with his legs pulled up to his chest and his chin resting on his knees.

"Harry," she whispered.

"Can't I be left alone for any moment of time?" said the boy bitterly.  He turned his sightless eyes towards Hermione and continued, "Or is the blind Boy-Who-Lived such a fine attraction?"  His voice took on the ring of a circus ringmaster as he cried, "Come one, come all, and see the blind Boy-Who-Lived!  Only two Galleons for a glimpse!"

"That's not funny," said Hermione darkly.

"No," said Harry with a cold smile.  "It's sarcasm."

"Harry…" sighed Hermione.

"Mione," said the boy wearily, "please.  Just leave me alone."

"Do you really want us to?" asked Ron.

Harry turned his lifeless eyes towards the ginger-haired boy and seemed to consider the question.

"No."

"I didn't think you did," said Hermione.  She gently touched his arm and added, "C'mon.  Let's go up to the Tower."

Harry nodded and turned to drop down out of the alcove to the stone-flagged floor.  As he staggered slightly, Ron and Hermione both grabbed at his arms, causing the teen to grimace.

"I'm blind, not crippled, damnit!"

Hermione smiled at Ron as she slipped the sunglasses back onto Harry's face then pulled his left arm across her shoulders.

"We know," she said to the boy.

"But can you find your way to Gryffindor Tower from here?" questioned Ron with a wry grin on his face as the two teens steered their friend down the corridor.

"Humphf," was all Harry said as the three of them trudged towards their tower.

At the other end of the corridor stood two figures, one with flaming hair and the other with dark.

"There," said Snape, nodding towards the three.  "He's safely in the clutches of Weasley and Granger."

"I can see that," said Petunia.  "He'll need new things."

"And I shall probably be sent after them," grumbled Snape.

"Severus, drop this silly act.  No, you can't, can you?  You have to keep up your image."

"As a loyal Death Eater."

Petunia looked up at him with a questioning gaze and asked, "What am I to do?  I can't just stay cooped up in a room."

"It might be safest."

"You know damn bloody well that I am not going to sit in a room and do nothing while a war goes on outside these walls!"

"Yes," said Snape.  "I do.  Albus will decide what we shall do.  But now there is sleep that is need, now that you see Potter is safe."

"Fine, fine."  She yawned and leaned against Snape's tall, strong form.  "You said something about sleep?"

"I did indeed."

"Can I spend the night with you?"

"Tuna…"

"It was worth a try…"

Snape smiled and chuckled softly, hugging the slim woman close as they turned and headed back down the corridor.

"Maybe someday, Tuna.  Maybe someday…"

~*~*~*~*~

 "Harry, where've you been?"

Harry looked up in surprise when Ron and Hermione led him into Gryffindor Tower.  "Neville?" he called, trying to locate the boy.

"It's me," said the other boy, wriggling out of a chair near the fire.  "Everyone else's already gone to bed."

"Why haven't you?" asked Ron a little grumpily.

Neville frowned nervously and replied, "I wanted to know what was wrong with Harry."

Harry smiled, a little of the weight he did not realize until that moment was on his heart lifting.

"Thanks, Neville."

Neville smiled sheepishly and ducked his head.

"No problem, Harry.  Can – can I ask what happened?"

Harry nodded solemnly and slipped his arm from about Ron's shoulder, leaving his other about Hermione's as she was more his height than Ron.  Slowly he reached up, searching only a moment for his glasses before he found them and pulled them away.

Neville gasped, "You're _blind._"

"Yeah," said Harry, fumbling at the glasses to slide them back on.  He finally gave up and just clutched them in his hand.  "Don't let anyone know, will you?  I don't want it around school before I even wake up."

Neville nodded and said, "You got it, Harry.  Nobody'll hear it from me."

"Thanks, Neville," murmured Hermione, smiling gratefully at the boy, who blushed.  She then asked, "Can you take my place?  I can't go up in the boy's dorm."

"Abandoning me already, Mione?" quipped Harry as Hermione moved and Neville took her place under his arm.

Hermione smiled and hugged her friend about the waist as Ron took Harry's other arm again.  She buried her face against Harry's neck and whispered into his ear, "Never in all eternity would I abandon you, Harry."

"Thanks," whispered Harry as she pulled away, another little piece of weight on his heart lifting.

Hermione smiled and patted his shoulder before she turned away and vanished up the girl's staircase.  Two of the three boys watched her go then began to slowly help the third up the stairs to their own dormitory.


	4. Chp 3: What Happened to Harry?

Chapter 3  "What Happened to Harry?" 

"What's happened to Harry?" were the words on almost everyone's lips the following morning.  Well, everyone's but the Slytherin's.  The green table was getting enough glares that if it were possible, it would have exploded by now.

"What do you think happened to him?" asked Ginny worriedly from where she sat beside Dean.

Across the table Seamus shrugged and Lavender said, "Maybe he's not coming."

"Or gone into hiding," piped Parvati.  When everyone looked oddly at her, she added, "From You-Know-Who."

"He really can't be back, can he?" asked Lavender.

Several of them shrugged then went wide-eyed when Ginny softly said, "Or maybe You-Know-Who got him."

The fifth years all looked at each other, the same thought on all their minds.

Harry couldn't be gone.

Could he?

As the others pondered this, Neville watched the doors, wondering when Harry, Ron, and Hermione would make an appearance.

As the chatter in the Great Hall continued, three people stood outside, waiting.  Hermione and Ron stood on either side of Harry, the bushy-haired girl slipping the dark glasses over the blank emerald eyes.

"Are you okay?" she asked, looking worriedly at him as she straightened the glasses on his nose.

"Fine," replied Harry.

Ron looked at his two friends then asked, "Shall we go in?"

Harry looked thoughtful for a moment then nodded slowly.

"Might as well," he said.  "They'll see me soon enough anyways."

"Okay," said Ron, gripping Harry's arm.  "Here we go."

"Just follow us," said Hermione, patting Harry's hand where it rested on her shoulder.

Harry turned his head towards her and said, "I know.  You two lead, I follow.  At least until I get a cane."

"Your not old," remarked Ron in confusion as they stepped into the Hall.

Harry grimaced and Hermione said, "A cane for blind people, Ron."

"Oh.  Sorry, Harry."

"S'alright.  Just don't run me into anything till then, okay?"

"You got it, Harry."

Very few people took heed of the Trio as they entered the Hall.  Then one Ravenclaw nudged another and word spread like wildfire.

"It's Harry!"

"He's not dead!"

"Looks like it.  How'd he get so pale?"

"Yeah, he can just about rival _Snape_ now!"

"What's with the sunglasses?"

"Harry!" exclaimed Dean as the Trio sat down across from him.  "You're alive!"

Harry winced and asked in a low growl, "Why does everyone seem to think I was dead?"

"Because You-Know-Who's back and you're the Boy-Who-Lived," replied Parvati matter-of-factly.

Harry's expression hardened behind his dark glasses at those words and he growled, "Rumors of my demise were highly overrated then."

The other fifth years looked at each other nervously and Hermione coughed politely.

Seamus then leaned onto the table and said around Ron, "What's up with the glasses, Harry?"

Hermione felt Harry go still beside her and she squeezed his hand reassuringly.  He turned his head to smile at her then sighed as he turned back towards his year mates.

"Well," he said, reaching up and taking the glasses off, eyes closed and head tilted down slightly.  "There's a good reason for that."

He looked up and there were several gasps and jumps at the sight of his lifeless eyes.

"I'm blind."

"How?" gasped Lavender as Harry slid the glasses back onto his nose with a little help from Hermione.

"Hot iron."

"_Hot iron?_" exclaimed Parvati as Seamus asked, "Is it reversible?"

Harry laughed harshly, perhaps more harshly than he should have.  But he didn't really care how harsh he sounded.

"_'Is it reversible?'_" he repeated with a sneer.  Then, shaking his head, he said softly, "No.  It's not."

"So you can't play Quidditch anymore?" gasped Dean.

Several moans went up as Harry nodded.  Hermione suddenly snapped, "Oh, _shut up!_  We can get another Seeker!"

"Not one as good as Harry," muttered Dean.

"That doesn't matter!  What matters is Harry!  Maybe he _can't_ play Quidditch – so what?  He's still here!  And no different than before."

"Except for the tiny little morsel of fact that I can't see anything," quipped Harry without humor.

Hermione sighed and laid her head on the table with a groan.  At a light touch on her arm, she looked up.  Harry's face was turned towards her and his fingers gently touched her arm, an expression between worry and loss on his face.  With a small smile, she took his hand and squeezed it.  The boy nodded at her and she gave a low chuckle.

Parvati and Lavender giggled softly at this exchange while Seamus let out a chortle.

On the other side of Harry, Ron scowled.

~*~*~*~*~

The Trio was heading for their first class of the day (Potions) when they were ambushed.

"Well, well, well," drawled a voice from behind a pillar as they passed.  "Look at the Boy-Who-Lived now.  Completely helpless.  How pitiful."

"Malfoy," snapped Harry, his upper lip curling.

The blond Slytherin stepped out of the shadow of the pillar and gave a short round of applause.

"And here I thought the blind were also stupid."

Ron glared at the other boy as Harry clenched his fists tightly at his sides.  Hermione glanced at both boys then began to reach for her wand.

"What do you want?" growled Harry, trying to focus his blank gaze towards Malfoy.

"A vacation home in the Swiss Alps and a dog," drawled Malfoy.  "Oh, and you out of my life, Potter."

Ron gaped.  Had Malfoy just made a joke?

"Well," said Harry coldly, thinking he had finally pinpointed the blonde's position, "I don't think you'll be getting any of those any time soon.  Especially not that last one."

"We'll see, Potter," said Malfoy, walking forward to go past them to the Potions classroom.  He stopped next Harry, turned his head, smirked, and added, "Wait.  You _won't_ see, will you?"

Harry sneered and growled, "Ron."

"What?"

"Take a step back, will you?"

Ron frowned and took a tentative step back.  Harry's left fist whizzed through the air and struck Malfoy squarely in the jaw.  The blond was thrown back a few steps, hand flying up to his jaw as his gray eyes stared at the dark-haired boy in surprise.

"How…how the _fuck_ did you do that, Potter?"

"What?" asked Harry innocently, rubbing the knuckles of his left hand.

"_Hit me?_"

"Are you implying that I can't hit you?  Just because I'm blind?"  Harry scowled and spat, "I've been unable to see since the beginning of summer hols, Malfoy.  You think I haven't gotten used to trusting my other senses?  As long as you keep your big mouth going, I can find you.  And if you keep walking like an elephant, that'll be something I can track you by too."

"But you're _blind_," grumbled Draco, rubbing his jaw.  "You broke my jaw!"

"Oh damn," said Harry, snapping his fingers, "and I _so_ was aiming for your nose.  Perhaps you could hunch down a little next time?  Thanks."

With that, Harry took a little step to his right and headed towards the Potions classroom.  Hermione hurried to catch up with him, looping her arm through his to steer him into the room safely.  Ron lingered for a moment to glare at Malfoy before he followed.  But not before Hermione had to turn and snap at him.

"Mister Malfoy," said a silky voice from the corridor as the Trio took their seats.  "May I ask why you are clutching your jaw?"

"Sir, it was Potter…"

You could practically hear the anger in Snape's voice in the next instant.

"_Mister Potter_ is currently _blind_, Mister Malfoy.  Should he have been able to strike you, it is your own fault for not having the sense to duck.  Now take yourself up to the Hospital Wing.  And five points from Slytherin."

"Sir!"

"_10 POINTS FROM SLYTHERIN!_"

Ron and Hermione stared at each other as Snape entered the room, a dark scowl upon his face.  He started to stalk to the front of the room but stopped when he reached where the Trio sat.  Turning towards them, he said, "Misssster Potter."

"Yes, sir?" said Harry, looking up.

"I trust that Mister Malfoy did not cause too much trouble."

The entire Gryffindor side of the room's jaws dropped whilst the Slytherin's scowled.

"No, sir," said Harry, sensing there were going to be points taking.

"Very good.  And five points from Gryffindor."

"Yes, sir."

Snape nodded and swept up to the front of the room, hurriedly scrawling the ingredients for the potion they were making on it.  Hermione whispered the ingredients to Harry, who was trying to identify the ingredients by smell.

By the end of the class, Gryffindor had only managed to lose forty points and Slytherin had – to everyone's shock and amazement – lost twenty-five.

_Maybe Aunt Petunia's a good influence on him_, thought Harry as Hermione and Ron cleaned up their table before steering him out of the room.  _Did I just really think that?_


	5. Chp 4: Prophecy, Shmophecy

Chapter 4  "Prophecy, shmophecy…" 

"Ron!  Harry!  Look at this!"

"_Shhh!_" hissed Madam Pince as Hermione ran out from behind a bookshelf, an old battered book in her hands.  She smiled apologetically at the librarian then hurried over to the table where Ron and Harry sat.

Hermione frowned when she saw Ron sprawled across his and what had been her seat.  Across the table, Harry looked up from the book of Braille he'd been studying for the past hour and said, "He's been like that for ages.  I think there's a chair over here."

He stretched out a hand and smiled when it touched wood.

"See?  A chair."

Hermione laughed and moved around the table, sitting down next to him.  She sat her book on the table and look at Harry's then up at his face.

"How are you coming?" she asked.

The dark-haired boy grimaced and reached out to close the book.

"Terrible," he said.  "It's hard to remember which dot signifies which letters and sod it all, it's tiring."

He gave a shake of his head and looked in her general direction.

"And what was it you wanted us to look at?"

"Oh!" cried Hermione, reaching for the book.  "This book.  I found something."

Harry arched his eyebrows and said, "What?"

"A prophecy," replied the girl.  "Let me find it and I'll read it to you."

Harry nodded and waited silently as Hermione flipped frantically through the book.

"Here it is!"

"Read," said Harry, leaning forward onto his elbows.  He could hear excitement in Hermione's voice and he wanted to know what it was about.

Hermione gave a little cough then intoned:

"Two Daughters of Darkness joined as one

The elder will bring forth the Lion's son

Then pass on when the Serpent comes

Younger daughter will lead the son

Relying on the strength of the Serpent's son

Serpent's blood, Lion's heart

Bound together, never to part

The son will see what others cannot

But only when the Raven returns the sight he lost

The Serpent will fall when sky burns red

But only when the son and Raven are as one."

Hermione looked at Harry when she finished and said, "What do you think?"

Harry sat still for a moment then said, "Interesting."

"I know!  I was reading the second and third lines and I thought they might apply to you."

"Me?"

"Yes," replied Hermione.  "Or at least the third one.  About the elder daughter passing on after the Serpent comes.  I was thinking that could be about your mother and You-Know-Who."

Harry blinked behind his glasses then said, rubbing one hand over his chin, "Maybe.  But I hope not."

Hermione looked surprised at his words and asked, "What do you mean by that?"

"I'm tired of being pushed about, Mione.  Everyone expects me to defeat Voldemort.  Even blind.  And I'm tired of it."  He sighed and took off his sunglasses, placing them on the table then let his head fall into his hands.  Then he continued, "I'm tired of being something I'm not."

Hermione sat still for a moment then reach out and touched his cheek.  Harry lifted his head and looked at her with sightless eyes as her fingers ran over his cheek.

"You've never been something you're not," murmured the girl.  "You've always been you.  People just haven't seen you."

Harry snorted and scoffed, "I don't really think anyone has."

Hermione smiled and cupped her cheek in his palm.

"I just did."

Sightless eyes blinked in surprise and Harry breathed, "Mione…"

"Mmm?"

"What are you doing?"

Hermione opened eyes she did not know she had closed and found herself on the edge of her seat, her lips nearly touching Harry's.  The expression on the boy's face was one of confusion and wonder.  Hermione blinked, looked at where she was again, then gave a little chuckle.

"Honestly?  I don't really know."

Harry smiled slightly and said softly, "It seems like you were about to kiss me.  I can feel your breath."

"Do you want me to?" asked Hermione, her heart suddenly pounding against her ribs.

"Only if you want to."

Hermione pulled back slightly and stared into the green eyes that were looking at her but weren't.

"Harry…"

"_No, not the spiders!_" yelled Ron suddenly and threw himself out of the chairs and onto the floor.  Hermione's hand dropped from Harry's cheek and she peered under the table.

"Ron?"

"Did he hurt himself?" asked Harry, looking rather perturbed as he groped for his sunglasses.

"Just my pride," groaned Ron as he pulled himself up into on of the chairs.  "Here, mate," he said a second later, pushing the glasses into Harry's searching hand.

"Thanks," said the dark-haired boy.  As he slipped the glasses back on, he asked, "Isn't it about lunchtime?"

"OH NO!" moaned Ron.  "We can't have missed lunch!"  He grabbed his scattered books and papers and ran out, leaving a trail of papers fluttering to the floor behind him.

Hermione shook her head and said, "Nut."  Then, looking at Harry, added, "If you give me a minute, I'll get both of our things together."

"Alright.  But I get to hit Ron for leaving us when we get to the Hall," said Harry with a grin.

Hermione laughed heartily at that.

~*~*~*~*~

"Ow," said Ron later as the Trio walked back towards Gryffindor Tower.

"Hush, you baby," scolded Hermione.  "Harry didn't hit you that hard."

"He boxed my ear!"

"And said I was sorry," grumbled Harry as he shifted his grip on Hermione's shoulder.  His fingers flicked nervously and tapped against the girl's neck.

"Harry that tickles," said Hermione, reaching up to still his hand.

"Sorry.  Its just a little unnerving to not…"  He trailed off.

"To not what?" asked Ron.

"To not be able to see," finished Harry with a sigh.

"What's why we're here," said Hermione, squeezing his hand reassuringly.

Harry smiled and said, "I know.  But I can't rely on you two to lead me everywhere.  You've got lives of your own."

"Which we will put on hold for you.  Right, Ron?"

Ron blinked then said, "Er…yeah.  Right."

Hermione glared at him as Harry smiled and said, "Thanks."

"Welcome, mate."

"C'mon," said Hermione.  "We've got to finish those papers for Charms."

"Lead on," said Harry.

"No," commanded a voice.  "Stay where you are."

"Sod off, Malfoy," snapped Ron.

"I'll sod off when I want to sod off, Weasel," sneered Malfoy, jumping down from an alcove.  "This has nothing to do with you anyway.  I want words with Potter."

"Then talk," said Harry stonily.

Malfoy sneered at Ron then said, "There was no way you could have hit me."

"_That's_ what this is about?" growled Harry.  "Malfoy, just because I'm _blind_, doesn't mean I'm _harmless_."

"_You couldn't have hit me!_"

"Just keep telling yourself that, Malfoy.  I already explained my reasons and if you didn't get those, well…you're just sunk."

"You still couldn't have hit me," sulked Malfoy.

Harry sighed and grumbled, "Oh, _get off it, Malfoy_.  I can hit you, I did hit you, and I'll do it again."

"You won't be able to find me."

"Malfoy, you're standing about five feet away.  I _know_ where you are.  If you want, I could lunge across that distance and break your jaw again."

Malfoy took a step back and Harry chuckled.

"No?  And here I thought you were begging for a fight."

The blond just glared at Harry for a moment then growled, "I'll be seeing you later, Potter.  When your little _guards_ aren't around."

"Don't expect that to happen!" snapped Hermione.

"Oh congratulations, Scarface.  The Mudblood likes you."

Ron lunged at Malfoy at the same time Harry did.  The ginger-haired boy tackled the blond at the same moment Harry brought his left fist up and slammed it into Malfoy's jaw.  Malfoy grabbed Harry's leg as he went down, dragging the blind boy down onto the ground with him.  Harry kicked out with his other foot as Ron punched Malfoy, who released the leg.  Hermione then rushed forward and dragged a fighting Harry back.  She then began to yell at Ron to stop when she heard footsteps running down the corridor towards them.

"Ron, stop it!"

"Ron!" cried Harry loudly, trying to push himself to his feet.

"_You two!_" yelled a woman's voice suddenly.  "_Break it up!_"

"Aunt Petunia?" queried Harry as Hermione helped him up off the floor.

"Hello, Harry.  _Break.  It.  Up!_  Or I'll use force!"

Ron punched Malfoy again as the blond clawed at his face and Petunia pointed a finger at them.

"_That's it!_  You, _there!_  And you, _over there!_"

Harry blinked as there were two dull thumps, one behind him and the other in front, and reached for Hermione's arm.  He must have touched something else because she jumped back and grabbed his hand.

"Sorry," mumbled Harry, cheeks flushed.

Hermione clutched his hand and said, "Its alright."  She then said in a softer voice, "That was _amazing!_  Your aunt threw Ron and Malfoy up against the walls with even using her wand!  _Amazing!_"

Petunia heard that and smiled over her shoulder at Hermione, inwardly grimacing.  _Lovely, Tuna_, she thought.  _Reveal to your nephew the Evans family secret that Lily and James swore he would never know._

"Now," she said, planting her fists on her hips and glared at the two boys.  "What is going on here?"

"They attacked me!" cried Malfoy.  "Both Weasley and Potter…"

"_You threatened Harry!_" bellowed Ron.

Petunia's eyes hardened and she turned to look at Hermione and Harry.

"Is this true?"

Hermione nodded and Petunia stalked over to Malfoy, grabbing his ear and jerking him off the wall.  At the same time Ron was released and stared at Petunia dragged the blonde Slytherin down the corridor by his ear, her voice carrying back to them.

"Threatening students, Mister Malfoy?  _Blind_ students?  We shall see Professor Snape about this!"

"My father…" began Malfoy.

"Lucius Malfoy has no power here, young man!"

"You're not a professor!"

"No," snapped Petunia, "but I _am_ my nephew's legal guardian and I will _not_ allow him to be harmed again!"

"She thinks all this is her fault?" breathed Harry after Petunia had dragged Malfoy around the corner.

Hermione gently squeezed Harry's arm and murmured, "Neither of you were to blame, Harry.  It was all your uncle's doing, not yours or your aunt's."

"I know," whispered Harry, dropping his chin so it rested against his chest.  Then he looked up, a cheeky grin on his face, and said, "Wouldn't it be marvelous if Dudley turned out to be a wizard?"

Hermione smiled and patted his shoulder whilst Ron chuckled.  The ginger-haired boy clapped Harry on the back and said, "Y'know what, mate?  You might just have something there."

Harry's only response was to laugh.

Shmophecy = SHA-MOF-EH-C


	6. Chp 5: Blood, Blood, Everywhere

**Chapter 5 – "Blood, blood everywhere…"**

Two months after Snape rescued Harry and Petunia from Vernon, Harry was given a cane.  Even with this, Hermione and Ron still shadowed him, in fear that Malfoy would keep up his promise.  But at the moment the other two were asleep and Harry was attempting to make his way down to the Great Hall without them.  He couldn't sleep, so he was wandering the halls.

"Lost, Potter?" sneered a voice from behind him.

"Sod off, Malfoy," growled Harry, baring his teeth as he lashed his cane out at something he could sense looming in front of him.  Metal rang back to him and he knew he'd hit a suit of armor.

"Oh, I don't think so, Potter.  _Get him!_"

Harry whirled around, cane lifted, as something came at his back.  But they were faster they he was and they also had a major advantage over him.

They could _see._

One of them knocked away the cane as the other shoved him against the wall.  _Hard_.  Harry swore he felt a rib crack from the impact.  Another pair of large hands encircled his arm and he sneered.

"Crabbe and Goyle.  How brave of you to have your cronies beat me up, Malfoy."

"They won't get the only shot," said Malfoy.  He strode forward and promptly hauled into Harry, punching him mainly in the stomach.  By the time it was over, Harry was slumped over in Crabbe and Goyle's clutches.

Malfoy smiled triumphantly and whaled the dark-haired boy in the face.

"That's for my jaw!"

Harry lifted his head, glasses gone as Malfoy had knocked them off, and glared at the blonde with his sightless eyes.  He then spat on the Slytherin's robes, earning another hard knock across the face.

"Son of a bitch!  Crabbe, Goyle…you can do whatever you want with him."

There were two grunts from either side of Harry and he felt himself being picked up.  As Malfoy's steps faded off, Harry yelled, "Coward!  You're a coward, Malfoy!  How would Daddy feel if he knew his precious little boy couldn't beat up on a _blind boy_ without the help of his cronies?"

"_Shut up!_" yelled Malfoy.

"I bet he'd be really disappointed," continued Harry.  "_Really _disappointed.  Would Voldemort be disappointed too?  I bet Daddy would tell him.  Wouldn't he, Malfoy?  Yeah, I bet he would.  And I bet Voldemort wouldn't be that happy either…"

"_Shut him up!_"

A large fist connected with the side of Harry's face and his mind reeled.  He tried to say something else to Malfoy but couldn't figure out where the hell his tongue was.

Whist this was happening, Crabbe and Goyle dragged him into a classroom that was never used and closed the door.

~*~*~*~*~

"Mione, have you see Harry?"

Hermione looked up in surprise.

"He's not here?"

"Hasn't been here since I woke up.  And his cane's gone."

"You don't think…"

"I don't know."

Hermione dropped her book and said, "The map."

"What?" asked Ron.

"The _map!_  _The Marauder's Map, Ron!_"

"Oh.  _Oh!_  I'll get it!"

As the ginger-haired boy rushed up the stairs to the boy's dorms, Hermione hurried across the room to where Neville sat reading a book.

"Neville, I need you to do something for me."

"What?"

"Go get find Harry's aunt.  And if you can't find her…er, go get Professor Snape."

"_Snape?_" exclaimed Neville.  "But Hermione…"

"_Just do it!_" screamed Hermione, scaring the pudgy boy out of his wits.

"O-okay," he stuttered, sitting his book down in his chair before he dashed out into the corridor.  Just as soon as he was gone, Ron came barreling down the staircase, a piece of yellowed paper clutched in his hand.

Hermione snatched the paper from him and drew her wand, tapping it sharply against the paper.

"_I solemnly swear I am up to no good!_"

The lines spider webbed out from the tip of her wand and the two of them peered frantically at it, looking for Harry.

"He's not on this floor," said Ron.

"Then let's go to another one," snapped Hermione.  Map clutched in one hand and wand in the other, she stalked out of the Tower, leaving Ron to scramble after her.

~*~*~*~*~

Neville was still running down the corridors when he remembered that he didn't know where Harry's aunt would be.  He remembered Hermione's alternative and swallowed hard.  But then he remembered that Harry was blind and the threat Malfoy had made that the Trio had told him about.

Steeling himself, Neville turned and ran for the dungeons.

At Snape's classroom, he threw himself at the door, pounding fiercely upon it and yelling.

"Professor!  _Professor!_"

"Mister Longbottom," hissed a voice from behind him.

Neville whirled and saw Snape standing in a doorway that hadn't been there before.  The dark eyes held him in place as the Potions Master sneered, "What do you want?"

"H-Harry, sir."

Snape's expression changed drastically.  The sneer dropped and a frown appeared as worry came into the black eyes.

"Potter?  What about him?"

"D-don't know, sir.  H-Hermione told me t-to get his aunt.  I th-think its Malfoy."

Snape's eyes narrowed and he turned to yell into the room behind him, "_Petunia!_"

"What?" came the voice back.

"Out here, _now!_  Your nephew may possibly be in danger of losing something!"

There was the sound of something breaking and then Petunia appeared in the door behind Snape, her green eyes flashing.  Power crackled around her as she snarled, "_Who.  Has.  Harry?_"

"We shall find out.  Mister Longbottom!"

"Y-yes, sir?" stammered Neville, staring wide-eyed at Harry's aunt.

"Lead."

"Sir?"

"_Lead us, foolish boy!_"

"Y-y-yes, s-sir!"

Neville took off and Snape and Petunia followed him.

~*~*~*~*~

"Too many steps, too many steps – _there he is!_"

"Where?" asked Ron, trying to peer over Hermione's shoulder at the map as they rushed down the main staircase into the entrance hall.

"Right, right!" cried Hermione, breaking into a run.  Ron followed her, losing sight of her once.

"Hermione!"

As he rounded a corner, he skidded to a halt.  Hermione was standing there, still as a stone, staring down at the paper in her hands.

"Mione?"

"Wh-what's it mean if the dot's blinking?"

Ron frowned and peered over Hermione's shoulder.  The two dots labeled 'Ronald Weasley' and 'Hermione Granger' were dark.  As were the one's that said 'Neville Longbottom', 'Severus Snape', and 'Petunia Evans' that were coming up out of the dungeons.

But the dot to the right of Ron and Hermione's that was labeled 'Harry Potter' was flickering between existence and non-existence.

The two fifth years looked at each other then rushed for the door.

"Locked!" cried Ron.

Hermione, tears running down her cheeks, pointed her wand at the door and yelled, "_Alohomora!_"

The door sprang open and the two of them leapt inside.

Only to draw back.

"_Merlin's beard…_" gasped Ron, leaning against the doorframe.

"_Oh, Harry_," whimpered Hermione.  She dropped the Map and her wand and rushed across the room to where a still and bloodied form lay, dropping to her knees beside it.  Gently, very gently, she reached out and tried to brush some of the dark hair off his face.  But the hair was caked with blood and her hand came away with it.

Harry's blood.  Harry's blood on my hands… 

"_Blessed serpents!  HARRY!_"

Petunia rushed into the room and started to continue over to Harry but she seemed to be going two ways at once.  One minute she was going forward then she collapsed to the floor, sobbing.

Snape hurried into the room, his face paling as he saw Harry's battered form lying in a pool of his own blood.

"Move, Granger!" he snapped, flicking his wand at Harry's form.  The boy's body lifted up off the floor, blood dripping down from it into the pool on the floor.

_Drip, drip, drip._

"Weasley, Longbottom, bring Miss Evans to the Hospital Wing.  Granger, go tell Madam Pomfrey to find every Healing Potion she has.  _Move, girl!_"

Hermione nodded and sprinted out of the room, hearing Snape coming behind her with Harry.  She picked up her speed, knowing she had to get to the Hospital Wing before Snape did.

And she made it in a record time.

"Madam Pomfrey?"

"What?" said the mediwitch, turning to look at her.  "Oh, my dear, you're bleeding…"

Hermione looked at her hands and shook her head.

Harry's blood.  Harry's blood on my hands… 

"Its not mine!  Its Harry!"

"_Harry?!  OH MERCIFUL HEAVENS!"_

 Snape had come in with Harry and gently levitated him onto a bed.  Madam Pomfrey hurried over to him and waved her wand over him for a moment before she snapped at the darkly clad man, "Every Healing Potion you have!  Now!"

Snape nodded sharply and left at a run.  As soon as he was gone, Neville and Ron appeared with Petunia leaned on them.  She was staring blankly into space and mumbling, "Harry…sorry, sorry…"

"Put her over there!" snapped Madam Pomfrey.  "Then out!  _Out!_"

"But…" began Ron only to be cut off by Hermione.

"_She said_ _get out, Ron!_"

Ron stared at her for a moment then nodded and left, Neville following nervously behind him.  A few moments later Snape reappeared, a large basket full of potion bottles in his arms.

"Every one, Poppy.  Blue first?"

"No, purple.  Hurry, Severus, he's going!"

That was not what Hermione needed to hear.  She clasped her hands over her mouth, ignoring the fact that Harry's blood was smeared across them, and watched with wide horrified eyes as the Potions Master and mediwitch attempted to save her best friend.

"Blue now, man!  C'mon, Harry, stay with us!"

"Swallow, boy!"

Harry coughed and jerked and Snape reached out to rub his throat as Madam Pomfrey continued to wave her wand over him.  The coughing subsided and Snape growled, "Don't die, boy."

"Green, Severus!"

"A moment, Poppy.  A moment for the blue to go down…"

"We don't have a moment, Severus!"

"Then a moment shall have to give _us_ time!" bellowed Snape.  He then snatched up a phial full of a vicious green liquid and looped his arm behind Harry's head, lifting it up so he could pour the concoction into the boy's mouth.  "Swallow, Potter!"

"Harry, stay with us.  Stay with us!"

"Orange?"

"Yes, yes!"

Another potion went down Harry's throat.

"Severus, we're losing him!"

"_We are not going to lose him!_"

Snape pulled a phial of black liquid from his robes and Madam Pomfrey yelled, "_No!_"

"Its his only chance, woman!"

"Severus, no!"

"He lives with _this_," snarled Snape, clutching the phial in his hand.  "He _lives_, woman."

"We don't know what it will do to him…"

"Then we shall _find out!_"

Snape lifted up Harry's head and pried his mouth open, flicking off the phial's cork with his thumb.

"_No, Severus!_"

"THIS IS HIS LIFE, WOMAN!  _Tuna's life._"

_Tuna?_ Thought Hermione through her horrified delirium.  _He thinks of food at this time?_

"Severus…"

"Now or never, woman!  _Now or never!_"

Black and blue gazes battled until blue looked away.  Snape nodded and lifted the phial to Harry's lips.  As the black liquid poured past the pale lips and was swallowed, Harry began to jerk.  Violently.

"Hold him down!" commanded Snape, grabbing Harry's arm.  "_Hold him down, woman!_"

This went on for a half-hour before Harry's violent movements subsided into small twitches.  Madam Pomfrey glared at Snape over Harry's body, her eyes accusing.

"She will not be happy about this."

"I just saved her nephew's life," snarled Snape.  "No matter my method, she will be thankful for it."

"_Dark Magick, Severus!_  How dare you use such things on…"

"On this boy?  You ask how I dare use a potion made specifically for Dark purposes on Harry?"  Black eyes snapped with fire as he pointed at Petunia's still form lying on the bed and at Hermione, who was still staring at Harry's form in horror.  "_They_ are how I dare.  I dare for _them_, Poppy.  For Tuna and for Granger.  Now take care of your charge."

Madam Pomfrey frowned at him but turned towards Harry, who was breathing evenly now.

Snape, meanwhile, took off his robes and the black shirt underneath it, both of which were soaked through with blood.  The white shirt underneath was also bloody and he frowned at it before rolling up the sleeves.  This done he walked over to Hermione, bending down slightly so he looked into her eyes.

"Miss Granger," he murmured.

Hermione tried to speak but could only whimper.

Snape seemed to nod with understanding and said, "Come, child."  He took her shoulders in surprisingly gentle hands and steered her over to a bed.  When she stared blankly at it, he grasped her about the waist and lifted her up onto it, forcing her to lie back.  Then he lifted her head and opened her limp mouth, pouring a potion down into it.  Hermione's eyelids fluttered as the Sleeping Draught took effect Snape pulled a blanket over her before he turned to do the same to Petunia, who had long since sobbed herself to sleep.

This done, he walked back over to Madam Pomfrey to help her clean the blood from the boy lying pale as death on the now red sheets.


	7. Chp 6: What Did You Do?

**Chapter 6 – "What did you do?"**

The next morning woke to find Petunia stirring in the Hospital Wing.  Her green eyes slowly flickered open and she let out a sob as memories from the night before loomed bright in her mind.  Shoving them back, she sat up hurriedly and stared across the room to where her nephew lay, still and pale.  Nearly everywhere on his body was bandaged and blood had started to soak through some of them.  Petunia hurriedly tapped her wand to the rhythm of a few bars of _Enter Sandman_ on the wall as she slid out of bed.  The wards of the infirmary were charmed so that whenever those specific bars were tapped out, Madam Pomfrey would be alerted.

As she waited for the mediwitch to appear Petunia walked over to her nephew's bed.  What surprised her was who was sitting at the bedside, asleep in a chair not designed for their height.

"Oh, Sev," she murmured as she saw the man sitting there, the chair he was occupying not at all designed to accommodate someone of his height and build.  She walked over and eased herself down into the chair next to him, watching him as he slept.  As she did this, she remembered the first time she'd met the man sleeping beside her.

_~*Flashback*~_

_"Lily, wait up!"_

_Petunia Evans ran after her twin sister Lily as the taller of the two sprinted across the train platform to her friends.  It was their second year at Hogwarts and both girls were thrilled to be going back._

_"C'mon, Tuna!" called Lily over her shoulder.  "We have to hurry!"_

_"Liiiiilyyyyyyy," whined Petunia as her twin hopped aboard the train, followed by the blue-eyed, dark-haired, lanky countenance of Sirius Black.  "OOF!"_

_Petunia was suddenly thrown off of her feet and she heard the thud of someone else hitting the ground beside her.  Her great horned owl, Lucifer, let out one of his trademark hisses and flapped his huge wings, big eyes glaring at Petunia as he swiveled his head around to eye her._

_"Oh, shut up," she snarled at the owl._

_"I'm sorry," said a soft voice from her left._

_Petunia turned and found herself staring into the most expressive pair of eyes she'd ever seen.  They were as black as pitch and shaped like…_

_"Almonds…" murmured Petunia._

_"Sorry?"_

_"Oh, I'm sorry.  I wasn't looking where I was going."_

_"No," said the boy with the expressive eyes, shaking his head.  "It was my fault."_

_"No…oh, bugger.  How about we both say it was our fault's and we're sorry?"_

_The boy grinned and said, "That's fine with me."  He then held out his hand and added, "I'm Severus by the way."_

_"Petunia.  Pleasure to meet you Severus-No-Last-Name."_

_Severus chuckled and said, "Its Snape.  Severus Snape."_

_"Evans."_

_"Lily's sister?"_

_"You know Lily?" asked Petunia as she and Severus pulled themselves back onto their feet._

_Severus nodded and picked up Lucifer's cage, ignoring the owl's hisses.  "Yeah," he replied, "she's been tutoring me in Charms.  I'm horrid and Flitwick doesn't want anything to do with me."_

_"Why?" asked Petunia, taking Lucifer's cage as they walked towards the train._

_"Possibly because I levitated **him** my first day last year.  Did it until Christmas when he told Lily to tutor me."_

_"He is small enough to levitate."_

_Severus laughed and said, "Don't I know it.  Hey…er, would you like to come sit with me?"_

_"Well…"  Petunia trailed off, considering._

_"Well, if you don' want to…  I've just never seen you around Potter and his gang like Lily."_

_"Oh no!" cried Petunia.  "James can be such an – an – as **ass!**"_

_Severus snorted.  "I can vouch for that.  So, do you…?"_

_"I'd love to sit with you, Severus."_

_The black-haired boy beamed at her and waved her down the car._

_~*Flashback*~_

Petunia sighed as she stopped the memory there and looked sadly at the dark-haired man beside her.  "Oh Sev," she murmured, "what happened to us?"

"You called, my dear?" said Madam Pomfrey as she entered the Hospital Wing, looking at Petunia curiously.

"Its Harry, Poppy.  His bandages…"

"I see it, Petunia.  Why don't you move Severus out of that chair?  He looks dreadfully uncomfortable."

"Why's he still asleep?  Generally he's up by now."

Madam Pomfrey smiled as she moved over to Harry's still form and replied, "He stayed up all night, the poor dear.  I was surprised to say the least.  You remember how much he hated James."

Petunia nodded.  She remembered well.

"I know.  I think he's doing it for me.  And Lily…"

"Ah yes," said Madam Pomfrey, flicking her wand at Harry's bandages.  "I see what you mean, my dear.  Now…bustle him off.  I have Miss Granger to take care of as well as Harry here."

"He _will_ be alright, won't he?" asked Petunia as she rose from her chair.

The mediwitch smiled at her reassuringly and said, "Of course, he will be, Tuna.  The only problem I can foresee is him needing blood.  He lost quite a lot of it."

"I see.  And you'll need me for that?"

"Yes, you're the only match in the castle.  I checked last night.  And I knew you'd not want me to ask students.  But we'll not need that right now.  You deal with Severus now.  I'll call you when I need you."

Petunia nodded and bent to gently shake Severus awake.

"Sev?  Sev, wake up."

"Mmm?" rumbled the man, opening one dark eye to peer sleepily at her.

"You've got to get up."

"Can't."

"And why not?" asked Petunia.

"Muscle cramp," replied Severus, closing his eye.

Petunia rolled her eyes and muttered something under her breath before she bent her knees, got her arms under and about his shoulder, and lifted Severus to his feet.  He grunted as she did so and nearly fell but caught himself, leaning on her as she shifted his arm about her shoulder.  Petunia looked at Madam Pomfrey, who was trying not to smile, then turned and hobbled out, dragging Severus with her.

"And where – _yawn_ – are we going?" asked Severus.

"Your quarters."

"Now now, Tuna," said Severus with a sleepy smile.  "You know you can't – _yawn_ – stay in my quarters."

"Infernal man," grumbled Petunia.  "I don't intend to stay in your quarters."

Severus gave her a Puppy Dog Look and whimpered, "Please?"

Petunia fixed him with her patented Piss Off Scowl and he relented.

"Alright, alright.  No company for me tonight."

Petunia scowled again.  He sounded so petulant…and she w_ould_ enjoy spending the night in his rooms.  Aw crap.

Severus caught her look and grinned.

"Ah," he said, "you _do_ want to – _yawn_ – stay."

"Severus, you can't even stay awake," scolded Petunia.  "How would you stay awake for any…_ahem_ – bedroom activities?"  She glanced about to make sure no students were about and said that specifically because she knew that Mrs. Norris was crouching behind a nearby tapestry.

"Because you are a – _yawn_ – thoroughly enchanting lady and I've been wanting to have you – _yawn_ – back in my arms for ages."

"I see sleep is not in your current agenda," grumbled Petunia.

"Not unless you're in it," replied Severus.

"Mmm.  I'd love to take you up on the offer, Sev…"

"I sense a but…"

"_But_…I still have Harry to take care of."

Severus nodded and said, "Ah, yes.  Harry."

"Since when did you call him by his first name?" asked Petunia as they reached the entrance to Severus' rooms.

"Well I've always thought of him by it.  Morpheus," he said to the blank wall in front of them and his door appeared.

"Severus Sadiron Alexander Snape," snapped Petunia as she swung the door open, "are you telling me that you have nothing against my nephew?"

Severus smiled and replied, "Nothing in the slightest, my dear."  He managed to close the door with his foot and waved a hand to light the torches and candles about the room.

"You let me handle the lighting and everything else, Sev," commanded Petunia, hauling the man towards his bedchamber.  "_Your_ priority is sleep."

"Tuna, I'm an insomniac.  I can't – _yawn_ – sleep when told or even when I want to."

"I know, Sev.  Hagrid caught you out at three in the morning once, remember?"

"Of course.  _Great scott, woman!_"

Petunia smirked down at Severus and innocently said, "What?"

"Don't throw a half-asleep man on a bed!  Merlin…"

"And here I thought you weren't asleep."

Severus glared at her as she lifted his legs up onto the bed and began to remove his boots.

"I can sleep in those."

"Hell if you can.  Now move your arms so I can unbutton your shirt."

"And here I was under the impression that you were going back upstairs."

"I am," said Petunia, shoving his arms away so she could get at the buttons of his bloodstained shirt.  "But I don't want you sleeping in bloodstains."

"I have before," argued Severus as she continued to unbutton the shirt.

"That was before I returned, love," said Petunia, reaching the last button.  She then moved to the sleeves and got the shirt off of him without any further to-do.  "See?  Very simple."

"Yes," said Severus, rubbing at the gooseflesh on his arms.  "Now I'm cold."

"That's what you get for living in the dungeons," admonished Petunia, tucking a quilt in around him.  "Better?"

"Much.  _Yawn_ – very sad you can't stay."

"I'll come back tonight, if that makes you feel any better."

Severus smiled, eyes closed, and murmured, "I'd like that very – _yawn_ – much, Tuna."

Petunia smiled and bent to kiss the side of his mouth before she turned and left, looking back at him once over her shoulder.

~*~*~*~*~

"Petunia?  I told you I'd call you."

"I couldn't stay away, Poppy."

"You could have spent time with Severus."

"He's asleep.  And as much as I would love to be with Severus right now, _Harry_ is my priority."  Petunia looked about the Hospital Wing and asked, "Where's Hermione?"

"Back in Gryffindor Tower.  Mister Weasley took her back at my request."

"I see.  How much blood does Harry need?"

Madam Pomfrey sighed and replied, "A fair amount, dove.  What say we get started?"

Petunia nodded and Madam Pomfrey headed over to a cupboard, opening it and taking something out.  When she returned, it was with a needle, a plastic tube, and a glass flask.

Petunia arched an eyebrow as she sat down on the bed to the right of Harry's and said, "The Muggle method?"

"It works best, my dear," said Madam Pomfrey.  "Now let me find this artery…ah.  This will only hurt a little – there.  Clench your fist a little, dove.  There we go.  Keep doing that until we've got that flask halfway full."

"Yes, Poppy," said Petunia, clenching her fist as she looked sideways at her nephew.  Rage sprang hot through her at the sight.

So she made a Blood Oath as her blood dripped out of her arm into the flask.  Never, _ever_ again would she allow this to happen to her nephew.  _Never_.  She would make whoever had done this pay and they she'd get him help.  A dog.  Yesssss.

Petunia smirked as she thought of the look of shock on her nephew's face when he found out that she'd known Sirius was innocent.  Pettigrew'd always been a rat anyway…

Chuckling, Petunia sat there with her blood dripping into the flask, pondering over how to tell Sirius the news of Harry's blindness and wondering how he would handle the fact that she was once again with his half-brother.


	8. Chp 7: Waking to it all

**Chapter 7 – "Waking to it all…"**

It was three days before Harry woke up, weak and with pain flickering in all of his limbs.  Dull green eyes slowly opened and stared blankly at the ceiling as the teen moaned softly.

"Harry?" queried a familiar voice from his right.  The mattress creaked, as though someone had been leaning on it.

"_Sirius?_" gasped Harry, turning his head to stare blankly at his godfather.

A cool hand gently touched his forehead and Sirius murmured, "Yeah, kid.  Its me."

"Wh-what are you doing here?  If you get caught…"

"Tuna asked me to come."

"_Aunt Petunia?_"

"Yeah," said Sirius.  "She and your mum were twins, y'know.  Same class as your dad, Remy, and me.  Snape too.  Funny thing though…"

"What?" asked Harry.

"She somehow knew I was innocent.  Haven't had a chance to ask her how.  She's been with _Snape_ all day."

Harry's cheeks flushed as he figured what that was refering to and coughed politely.  "Er…well…if that's what she wants…"

"_Are you serious?_"

"No, Sirius," said Harry with a laugh in his voice, "I'm not you."

Sirius frowned then chuckled, ruffling the dark head.  "Funny, kid," he joked.  "Now don't tell me you meant what you just said."

"What?  Snape's better than Uncle Vernon."

Sirius' expression darkened at the mention of Vernon and he growled, "Speaking of that ponce…"

Harry sensed his godfather's mood and reached out a hand blindly, expression one of fear.  He cried, "_No!_"

"What?" asked Sirius, grasping Harry's hand between his own.

"You can't…don't-don't do anything to him, Sirius."

"Harry, he's the one that _blinded you!_"

"I know," said Harry softly.  He turned his blind eyes to his godfather and continued, "But what if you get caught?  _What then, Sirius?_  Do you know how bad I'll feel if you get caught?  If you get _Kissed?_"

Sirius gripped Harry's hand tightly and hissed, "That won't happen, Harry.  I'm careful."

"Bull.  When I'm in the equation, you're as reckless as I am."

"You're not reckless…"

"Oh, and heckling Malfoy when I'm blind is just a hobby."  Harry frowned and said, "Speaking of which, _what happened_ to Malfoy?"

"He," said Snape's voice from the direction of the hospital wing doors, "has been expelled, along with Mister's Crabbe and Goyle.  Attacking a fellow student is a serious offense, Mister Potter."

"What are _you_ doing here, _Snape?_" snarled Sirius, half-rising from his seat.

"Sit down, Black," sneered Snape.  "_I_ came to check on Potter."

"What do _you_ care?"

Snape scowled and snapped, "_I_ care a great deal, Black."

"Yeah," snorted Sirius.  "Sure.  Only because of _Lily._"

"Is it so inconceivable to you, Black, that _maybe_ Lily and I were good friends?"

"No, its _not, Snivellus_.  And I'd like you to keep your grubby paws off my godson."

"Your hands are just as grubby as _mine_, Black."

"How _dare_ you…"

"Sirius, Severus," growled Petunia warningly as she entering the hospital wing, closing the doors behind her and locking them.  "Shall I do what I did to the two of you in fifth year?"

"I would suggest _against_ locking us in the moving broom closet again, Tuna," rumbled Snape.

Sirius drew his lips back from his teeth in a feral grin and spat, "Yeah.  Snape here might come out a bit bloodied…_OW!_  What was that for?"

"For being an imbecile," replied Petunia scathingly.  She then moved past him over to the awake (and now confused) Harry and asked, "How do you feel?"

"Sore," replied Harry.  "It hurts in some places…not much though."

"That's good," said Petunia.  "Young Malfoy was expelled."

"I know.  Snape told me.  Did you really lock him and Sirius into a broom closet?"

Petunia giggled and replied, "_Yes._  They were both dreadfully furious at me when they got out.  Filch, caught them, of course…"

"Oh no…"

"Oh _yes_…but they got over it."

"I can see that.  Er – well, maybe not _see_…oh, you know what I mean."

Petunia smiled and patted Harry's hand, nodding.

"Yes, yes I do know.  Now, why don't you get back to sleep?"

"Where's Hermione and Ron?"

"They'll come see you soon, don't worry.  Until then Sirius is going to stay.  He's going to be your new guide dog – but don't tell _him_ that yet.  It's a surprise."

Harry nodded then yawned, eyelids drooping.  Petunia smiled and brushed a few stray locks of hair off his face, her fingers brushing his scar.

"Get some sleep," she murmured, pulling a blanket up to his chin.  As Harry drifted off into sleep, Petunia turned to the two men arguing quietly behind her and ushered them to the other side of the room.  Once there, she grabbed both of their collars and jerked them both down to her height – which meant both 6'3 men were halfway bent over to meet her 5'5.

"Now," she rumbled darkly, "the next time the two of you decide to argue about old times, take it outside."

"Yes, ma'am," said Sirius.  "Anything else, ma'am?"

"Shut your hole, Siri.  And if you intend to stay in here with Harry, _please_ do so in your Animagus form.  It would be quite hard to explain what a murderer is doing watching over an injured boy."

"Okay.  But I don't want _him…_"

Petunia jerked Sirius' collar hard, a fierce scowl upon her face.

"I will hear _none_ of that!  I am _not_ Lily, Sirius.  I do _not_ go along with all of your pranks and plots.  He is your _brother_ and whilst the two of you are in the same place, I will see you treat him as one.  That goes for you too, Sev."

Snape bowed his head and murmured, "As you wish."

Sirius snorted and snarled, "As if you'll put it away _that_ easily…_gag!_"  Petunia twisted his collar in her hand.

Snape sneered.  "I _can_ put my grudge away that easily, _Black._  Unlike _you_, I can be civil for a short time."

"Why you…_Tuna, yer chokin' me!_"

"That's the point," growled Petunia, twisting Sirius' collar again.  "And may I point out that while Severus has a valid reason to hold a grudge, _you_ do not."

"He…"

"_You have no right to blame him for what his father – YOUR father did to you and your mother!_"

Sirius scowled at that, revealing the famous Snape scowl, and spat, "Don't tell me what to do, Tuna…"

Petunia twisted his collar again and snarled, "I _am_ telling you what to do, Sirius Orion Procyon Black!  And you will _listen to me_ or Lord help me, I'll see you writhe in pain at my feet.  You _know_ I can do it and the Ministry wouldn't know a thing about it."

Sirius looked scared for the first time during this conversation and only nodded, blue eyes wide.

"I'm glad we understand each other," remarked Petunia calmly as she released both men.  Snape straightened in a very elegant manner whilst Sirius slouched up to his normal height, scowling at his half-brother.  After a moment of this, a bear-like dog was in Sirius' place.  It growled at Snape then sauntered over to Harry's bed, lying down at the end of it, blue eyes glaring at the darkly clad man.

Snape returned the glare half-heartedly then offered his arm to Petunia, who took it.  Anger flared in her every stride as the left the hospital wing, heading back towards Snape's quarters.

"Merlin, I can't _stand_ him sometimes!" she snarled as they walked down the steps into the dungeons.

"I know the feeling," grumbled Snape.

"Oh, Sev, I'm sorry about that…"

"No," interrupted Snape, "no, my dear, you are right.  _You_ _are right_  We must put aside our grudges, he and I."

"He's stubborn as a mule," commented Petunia.

"As am I."

"Don't I know it…"

"But that is not the point," said Snape.  "The point _is_ his grudge is still a very childish one."

"Child grudge's seem to hold longer."

"Indeed they do.  Gah.  Let this talk of Black die.  It gives me a headache."

"Sirius, Sev.  _Sirius._"

"Aye, Tuna," said Snape as they approached his door.  "_Sirius_ is his name.  Morpheus," he said to the blank wall, which shimmered and revealed the heavy oak door that guarded his rooms.  Bowing slightly towards Petunia, he extended a hand towards the door and said, "Shall we?"

"Lead on, kind sir," quipped Petunia, smiling.

Snape returned the smile in kind and took her hand before leading her into the room.


	9. Chp 8: Confusion Makes the World Go Roun...

**Chapter 8 – "Confusion Makes the World Go Round"**

"Oh, _Harry!_" cried Hermione a week later as she threw her arms about a healed Harry.

The large bear-like dog at Harry's side barked at her only to be quickly silenced by a sharp tap from the boy's hand. His other hand was patting the girl's back.

"S'alright, Mione," he murmured, wishing he could see her face. He was already forgetting what things looked like… "I'm okay…"

"You're limping," remarked Ron, eying the shorter boy's right leg.

"Yeah, I know," grumbled Harry, pulling back from Hermione. "Its still not completely healed."

Both of his friends frowned at that and the black dog growled softly. That was when Hermione noticed it and let out a surprised squeal.

"_Sir – _Snuffles! What are you doing here?"

Harry smirked as he said, "He's my official guide dog." This brought a snort from Snuffles as Hermione bent to scratch behind his ears.

"Shame he wasn't here before," mumbled Ron, earning a scowl from Hermione. As he flushed red, Harry slowly nodded, closing his blind eyes behind his glasses.

"Yeah," he said softly. "He could have been a big help."

Snuffles whined and nudged Harry's hand with his nose. The teen patted the dog's shaggy head and forced a smile.

"S'alright, Snuffles. I'm okay and Malfoy's gone."

"And good riddance," huffed Hermione, straightening. "Though I'd like to have been able to hex him at least _once_ before he got out the door. Slimy little bastard…"

Harry blinked and stared in Hermione's general direction, as did Snuffles. Ron had a completely different approach to hearing the bushy-haired girl utter a curse.

He fainted.

* * *

"Is he awake yet?"

Hermione sighed and glanced over her shoulder at Ron, who was sprawled out over a couch in the Gryffindor common room. Turning back to Harry, she replied, "Nope."

"Oh well. Its your move, isn't it?"

"Yes." Hermione frowned at the chessboard sitting inbetween them then said, "Knight to E 4."

One white piece moved forward and Harry grinned. He held his hand out over the board, gently touching the tops of a few of his black pieces before speaking.

"Queen to E 4."

The black piece slid diagonally across the board and promptly knocked the white piece off the board. There was a tinny cheer from the black side and a moan from the white.

"Bugger," grumbled Hermione. "I hate chess."

"Then why did you agree to play?" asked Harry as the girl studied the board.

"Nothing else to do. Er – I don't know where to move."

"Want to quit?"

"Only if you want."

"Yeah," said Harry. "Put it away."

"But we were _winning!_" cried the black King before Hermione swept all the pieces into a box and slammed the board down on top of them.

Harry stretched slowly backwards in his chair, his legs lengthening out until the tip of his right shoe jabbed Snuffles in the ribs. The black dog banged his tail against the leg of the table and woofed softly.

"Sorry, Snuffles."

Snuffles woofed again and laid his head down on his paws, banging his tail against the leg of the table again. Hermione peered down at the Animagus then sighed and looked over at Ron again.

"Think I should try _Ennervate?_"

"Give 'er a go," grumbled Harry, leaning on the table, chin cupped in his hands.

Hermione drew her wand and pointed it at the unconscious redhead, snapping, "_Ennervate!_"

Nothing happened.

"Well…bugger," grumbled Hermione, frowning.

"Oh well," said Harry.

"Oh well?"

"He'll wake up eventually. Let's just leave him here."

"And go do what?"

"You know that prophecy you found?"

"Yes," said Hermione, eyes narrowing slightly.

Harry frowned and said, "I-I think you should copy it down out of that book. And while you're doing that, I can give another go at this Braille."

"I'll help if you want."

"Nah," said Harry, bending down towards Snuffles. "Got to learn _that_ on my own. C'mon, Snuffles." He carefully pushed himself to his feet, wincing as his right leg protested weight being placed on it. But he managed to get to his feet and began to grope for the leash that was around Snuffles neck.

Seeing he couldn't reach it, even with the dog Animagus standing, Hermione got up and grabbed the leash. She carefully took Harry's searching hand and placed the object in it, closing his fingers about it.

A smile rewarded her for her efforts and she blushed as Harry murmured, "Thanks."

"Welcome," mumbled Hermione, hurriedly picking up her books. "Shall we?"

"We shall," replied Harry. Snuffles woofed and lead Harry across the common room, Hermione trailing behind them.

* * *

"Hopeless," grumbled Harry, shoving the book away from him. "Absolutely hopeless."

Hermione looked up from where she was finishing off the last line of the prophecy and said, "No luck?"

"Not a bit. Its so…_confusing_!"

"Learning a new language can do that."

Harry frowned.

"Braille isn't a new language."

"Sure it is. Only the blind can read it, right? Just like there are people who can speak French fluently."

"Hmphf," snorted Harry, reaching up to rub at his left temple.

Hermione blew the wet drops of ink drew on her paper before she turned her full attention to her friend and his plight. "You know what you need?" she asked.

"Eyes?" said Harry sarcastically. At the silence that followed, he muttered, "Sorry. You were saying?"

Hermione took the apology with a faint smile and said, "You need something like Rita Skeeter's quill. Something that you could speak to and it'd write down all you say."

"Quite unlike _her_ quill," sneered Harry.

"_Yes_," hissed Hermione, frowning. She then said, "I'm certain there are quills that could do something like that. Er, a Dictating Quill or something. I could ask Professor McGonagall."

"Please do."

"I will. And something for reading things too."

Harry nodded then asked, "You finish copying the prophecy?"

"Right here," replied Hermione, waving the sheet of parchment. "Why exactly did you want a copy of it?"

"I wanted to ask my aunt about something in it." Harry frowned, trying to remember the phrase correctly. "Uh, the line about the 'Daughters of Darkness?'"

"Yeah…"

"Well, she and my mum were _twins_. And didn't it say something about twins?"

"'Two Daughters of Darkness joined as one?'"

Harry snapped his fingers. "That's it!"

"So if your mother and aunt are the Daughters of Darkness, I guess that means…" Hermione trailed off and looked at Harry, whose previous cheerful look had faded.

"Guess that means I'm the Lion's son. And Voldemort's got to be the Serpent."

"Younger daughter…your aunt?"

"No idea. But more than likely being as she's still alive and it says the _elder_ brings forth the Lion's son. What was the next line?"

"'Relying on the strength of the Serpent's son.' Voldemort's son?"

Harry frowned.

"Wouldn't want to be Voldemort's son…"

Hermione giggled then clapped her hands over her mouth, eyes wide in shock. Snuffles arched his eyebrows (what eyebrows he had) at her and Harry blinked behind his dark glasses.

"What?" he asked.

"Serpent's son. Voldemort's son. _His Death Eaters._"

Harry blinked again and his mouth dropped open.

"Of _course!_"

"But who?"

"I'll give you three hints: tall, dark, and snarky."

"_Snape?_"

Harry smirked and asked, "You know of any _other_ resident Potion Master's who happen to be smitten with my aunt?"

"Bad imagery, Harry. Baaaaad imagery."

Snuffles woofed in agreement and Harry reached down to pat the dog's head, which hovered near his knee.

"You and I already _had_ this conversation, Snuffles," grumbled the teen, scowling slightly. "If that's what she wants and if it makes her happy, so be it. Anyway, _Snape_ is better than _Uncle Vernon_ any day." He shrugged and added, "Back to the prophecy. What's the next line?"

"'Serpent's blood, Lion's heart,'" read Hermione. "Voldemort's blood?"

Harry shook his head. "I don't think so."

"What then…oh!"

"Hmm?"

"Slytherin's blood! And a Gryffindor! That's the lion's heart!"

Harry applauded silently then frowned, saying, "So there's a Gryffindor out there somewhere with Slytherin blood? Some relative of Voldemort?"

"I suppose," murmured Hermione.

"Poor chap."

"Or girl."

"True. Oh, what was the next line? Something about 'bound together, never parting?'"

"'Bound together, never to part.'"

"That's it."

"Next is 'The son will see what others cannot.' So he'll see things other's can't." Hermione frowned at the next line. "'But only when the Raven returns the sight he lost.' Ravenclaw? A Ravenclaw returning the sight to a Gryffindor-spirited Slytherin?"

"Actually I think it's a Slytherin-blooded Gryffindor."

"Whatever. This is so confusing."

"Don't I know it. Aren't there two more lines?"

"Yeah. 'The Serpent will fall when sky burns red' and 'But only when the son and Raven are as one.'"

"Okay. So Voldemort will fall when the sky burns red."

"And the Ravenclaw and the Slytherin-blooded Gryffindor must get together before this happens."

"This is beyond confusing," stated Harry. "This is _weird_."

Snuffles woofed in agreement.

"So," said Harry after a moment's break, "if I'm this 'son', would it be _me_ its talking about having the Serpent's blood and the Lion's heart?"

Hermione shook her head and replied in a bare whisper," I don't know."

"I don't either and its confusing! Blast!" Harry slammed his fist down on the table, scattering a stack of papers Hermione had sat out. The girl ignored them as she reached across the table to enclose her friend's clenched fist with her warm fingers.

"We'll figure this out," she assured. "I swear we will, Harry."

Harry smiled and reached out with his other hand to take hers, squeezing it gently.

"Thanks, Mione. I know with _you_ on it, we'll have it figured out in no time."

Snuffles woofed in agreement, wagging his tail, and both Hermione and Harry frowned at him.

"Shut up, Snuffles," said both in unison.

* * *

When Harry and Hermione returned to Gryffindor Tower, they found Ron just waking up. The ginger-haired boy frown at the two of them as they entered and grumbled, "Where have you two been?"

"Library," replied Harry. "Where's a chair? Snuffles?"

The black dog barked softly and grabbed Harry's sleeve gently in his teeth, guiding the sightless boy over to a chair. Harry spread a hand out in front of him, trusting wholeheartedly in the dog. When his fingers brushed wood, he grinned and reached out with his other hand to stroke at the silky coat.

"Thanks," he murmured as he carefully levered himself down into the seat, unmindful of the worried glances Hermione and Ron were giving him.

"You okay, mate?" asked Ron after a moment.

Harry gave him a confused look and said, "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Well, er…"

Hermione gently slapped his shoulder then said to Harry, "You've only been out of the Hospital Wing for a day, Harry. We're…we're worried about you. You recovered awfully fast for someone…" Her voice trailed off.

"What?" said Harry, his eyebrows arching over the tops of his sunglasses. "For someone who was nearly beat to death? I'm not going to break down if you mention it, Mione."

"I know," choked Hermione slightly. "But _I might!_ You – oh God, Harry, you don't know what it felt like to see you. You were…you…"

"You were covered in blood, mate," breathed Ron. "_Your blood_. We couldn't see anything but I was fair sure your face was pretty torn up. Now its not got a scratch."

Hermione nodded in agreement and said, "Magic may be good at healing but its not _that_ good. There should at least be some scarring. And from what I can tell…" She took a deep breath here. "From what I can tell, _you haven't got a scratch on you._"

Harry blinked and frowned slightly. He leaned his elbow on the chair arm, chin rested in the curve of his palm. Absently, he ran the pad of his thumb along the curve of his bottom lip, trying to remember his time in the hospital wing _before_ he woke up.

Memories suddenly flashed back, full of pain and blood. Harry gave a soft cry and leaned back into the chair, barely aware of Hermione and Ron rushing to his side.

"Harry, what's wrong?" asked Hermione in a worried voice.

"Should we get Madam Pomfrey?" came Ron's voice.

"Yes," hissed Sirius' voice and Harry pushed the memories of blood and pain back as fear flooded his body. He reached out blindly for Sirius, gasping as a pair of calloused hands enveloped his own.

"What…are you doing?" he hissed angrily, shaking the hands that gripped his own. "You'll get caught!"

The surprise was evident in Sirus' voice as he said, "You were hurting."

Harry growled in back of his throat and held back the urge to hit his godfather. He instead settled for grasping the man's wrists and snarled, "I don't care if I'm _dying_, Sirius! I don't want you caught! I don't want _you_ to lose your soul because of _me_!"

"Harry…"

"I don't want to hear it, Sirius," growled Harry. "If there's one thing I'll ever ask of you, its to _never, **ever**_ do something this stupid again. I want you _alive_, not some soulless wreck in Azkaban. You hear me, Sirius? _I want you alive!_"

"I hear you, kid," assured Sirius. He ruffled Harry's hair then pulled the thin boy into a hug. "I swear I won't get myself killed or my soul sucked out."

"Good," came Harry's muffled voice from the crook of the older man's shoulder. He then pushed himself away and turned to look in the direction of the girl's staircase. A second later he whirled about so fast that his glasses flew off, revealing his blind eyes, which were wide with terror.

"Turn back, now!" he hissed. "Someone's coming?"

"How…?" began Sirius, echoed by Hermione.

Harry's expression turned violent as he snarled, "Don't ask me how, _just do it!_"

Sirius frowned but nodded and with a soft _pop!_ was once again Snuffles. A moment later Lavender came down the staircase, her pace slowing slightly as she saw the four of them sitting in the common room.

"Hi, Harry, Ron, Hermione." When her eyes fell on Sirius and really _looked at him_, she leapt back and shrieked, "**_GRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIM!!!!!!!_**" With that, she turned and fled back up the girl's staircase, arms flailing wildly.

Ron blinked after her for a moment before commenting, "That is one weird girl. Seriously, taking Snuffles for a Grim."

Harry and Hermione both gave Ron a Look, to which he responded by looking confused and saying, "What?" The other two shook their heads and Harry grumbled, "Nothing," as Hermione slipped his glasses back onto his face.

As she did this, the bushy-haired girl whispered, "How'd you know?"

"Know what?"

"How'd you know Lavender was coming downstairs?"

Both Snuffles and Ron looked at Harry as the question was voiced. They wanted to know the answer to that too.

Harry frowned and tilted his head downward slightly. "I don't know," he said softly. "I – I just did."

Hermione frowned as well and said, "I think we need to go talk to your aunt. Surely _she'll_ know what's going on."

Harry nodded slightly then exclaimed, "But I don't know where she is!"

"That'll be Snuffles job," said Ron, grinning at the dog.

Snuffles only snorted.

* * *

"C'mon, Snuffles, she can't be _that_ hard to find."

The big black dog snorted and cast a glower over his shoulder at the ginger-haired boy. Ron took a side-step away from the dog, causing Hermione to chuckle softly. Harry, who was holding onto Hermione's arm as Snuffle's was otherwise occupied, arched his eyebrows and said, "What?"

"Sirius is giving Ron a Look."

Harry chuckled at that, earning a frown from Ron. Snuffles gave the dog equivalent of a snicker then barked loudly, breaking off into a run.

"Si – _Snuffles!_" bellowed Harry after the dog. "Come back here! _SNUFFLES!_"

A bark from down the corridor was all that answered him.

"No use that, mate," remarked Ron. "He's gone."

"Bloody dog," grumbled Harry. "Well, follow him!"

"Me?" said Ron.

"No," sneered Hermione. "The other person here who's invisible. Yes, _you_, Ron."

Ron looked flustered for a moment then he turned and ran off after Snuffles, yelling. Hermione shook her head and followed at a slower pace, Harry's hand resting in the crook of her arm.

"What are you going to ask her?" asked Hermione, looking at the blind boy beside her.

"I don't know," came the honest reply. "I really don't know."


End file.
